An Extract out of Josephus's Discourse to the Greeks Concerning Hades

Flavius JosephusProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.8

Word count: 11K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.An Extract out of Josephus's Discourse to The Greeks Concerning Hades by JosephusAuthor: Josephus, Flavius, 38?-100?,Language: English, Class: DS: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Asia, Release Date: Oct 1, 2001

Editor's review

This is an English translation of a short discourse by the ancient Jewish historian Josephus. Taking as its frame a Greek discussion of Hades, it presents the ancient Mediterranean world's imaginings of the state after death, the destination of the soul, and moral retribution. Though brief, the text sets Jewish tradition alongside the Hellenistic context, making it useful as a primary source for understanding the intersection of early religious ideas. The Project Gutenberg public-domain electronic edition is easy to search and cite, but readers should note that it is an extract rather than the complete work, and that the English translation is early, with a classical flavor in syntax and diction. It is best read against the background of Josephus's The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews, and may also be compared with Greek accounts of Hades such as Plato's Phaedo. It rewards close reading with questions in mind rather than continuous reading as a narrative work. Readers interested in religious history, classics, and translation studies will see how ideas were transmitted and reinterpreted; those seeking a complete argument or modern annotation should look for an annotated edition.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the intersection of ancient Judaism and Hellenistic religious ideas
Teachers and students needing a short primary text for classics or religious history courses
Writers researching the motifs of Hades, the soul, and postmortem retribution
Translation enthusiasts who wish to use a public-domain electronic text for comparative reading

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a complete work by Josephus or a systematic historical narrative
Beginners who need modern translation, a detailed introduction, and scholarly annotation
General literary readers who prefer a coherent plot and easy continuous reading

Reading tips

Begin with a concise introduction to Josephus's life and works before turning to the text.
Find one Greek and one Jewish passage on Hades for comparison and take thematic notes.
When encountering convoluted sentences in the early English translation, read the whole paragraph first, then return to key terms and turns of argument.
After reading, summarize in three hundred words how the author uses the Greek context to express the idea of moral retribution.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this text a complete work by Josephus?

No. The title already indicates that it is an extract from Josephus's Discourse to the Greeks Concerning Hades, a short translated selection rather than a complete treatise. For systematic study, seek a complete edition with introduction and notes, and understand the extract within Josephus's overall works and ancient discussions of Hades.

Can I read it without a background in classics?

Yes, but background materials will help. The text involves Greek conceptions of Hades, Jewish tradition, and ancient views of the soul, and the early English translation is not easy in syntax. It is advisable to start with a concise introduction or relevant encyclopedia entries and then read paragraph by paragraph; marking unfamiliar names of gods and places and argumentative terms will make the reading much smoother.

Is this electronic edition suitable for academic citation?

It comes from Project Gutenberg and is a public-domain electronic text, suitable for general reading and preliminary reference. However, it is an extract and the English translation is early, lacking a modern editor's introduction and detailed notes. For formal academic writing, citations should be checked against an authoritative annotated edition or a reliable translation, with the source and the extract's nature noted.

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About the author

Flavius Josephus Author · Jewish (Roman citizen)

Flavius Josephus (Josephus, Flavius, 38?-100?) was a first-century Jewish historian and priest born in Jerusalem. During the First Jewish-Roman War, he served as a military commander in Galilee, later surrendered to Rome, was released, and obtained Roman citizenship. His works include The Wars of the Jews, Antiquities of the Jews, The Life of Flavius Josephus, and Against Apion. They mostly recount the history of the Second Temple period, combining personal experience with historical compilation in a detailed style, and are important sources for the study of Jewish history of that era. Public information is limited regarding the exact dates of his birth and death and his early education.